Data from Cultural influences on the effects of social norm appeals

This study reports on an experimental test of the effects of descriptive and injunctive norm appeals on intentions to prevent food waste in China and the United States (N = 1449), testing the role of cultural context and group orientation in this process. Results showed that the main effects of descriptive and injunctive norm messages on behavioural intentions were mediated by normative perceptions, and cultural context moderated both paths of this mediation. Specifically, with the same message exposure, Chinese participants perceived food waste prevention as more prevalent and socially approved compared to US participants. Normative perceptions interacted with cultural context to influence behavioural intentions, such that both descriptive and injunctive norm perceptions predicted stronger intentions to prevent food waste among Chinese participants compared to Americans. Group orientation yielded a main effect on behavioural intentions, instead of the moderation effects as expected. Findings suggest the need for culturally grounded and contextualized approaches to communication of social norms, as well as building cultural concepts into theories of social norms.This article is part of the theme issue ‘Social Norm Change: From Evolution to Policy Intervention’.

本研究针对中国与美国两国（N=1449）的食物浪费预防意向，开展了描述性规范（descriptive norm）与指令性规范（injunctive norm）诉求影响的实验测试，同时检验了文化语境（cultural context）与群体导向（group orientation）在该过程中的作用。研究结果显示，描述性规范与指令性规范信息对行为意向（behavioural intentions）的主效应以规范认知（normative perceptions）为中介，且文化语境对该中介过程的两条路径均存在调节作用。具体而言，在接受相同信息暴露的前提下，相较于美国参与者，中国参与者认为食物浪费预防行为更为普遍且更具社会认可度。规范认知与文化语境共同作用影响行为意向：相较于美国参与者，描述性与指令性规范认知均能更强地预测中国参与者的食物浪费预防意向。群体导向对行为意向存在主效应，而非研究预期的调节效应。本研究结果表明，社会规范传播需采用根植于文化、贴合具体语境的方法，同时应将文化概念纳入社会规范理论体系。本文属于专题议题‘社会规范变革：从演化到政策干预’的组成部分。